


Ivan Has A Praise Kink

by gayspaceace



Series: Swedish Fish [1]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Praise Kink, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 14:58:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18662704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayspaceace/pseuds/gayspaceace





	Ivan Has A Praise Kink

The first time it happens, Fish pretends he doesn’t notice.

They’re lazing about on the couch together, reading and lost in their respective worlds. Or at least Ivan is. Fish stopped paying attention to his book ages ago, too enthralled watching his boyfriend’s expressions as he moves through the story. He tries not to laugh as Ivan’s brows shoot up, but fails, letting out a gust of a laugh.   
“What?” Ivan looks up from his book.  
“Nothing,” Fish says with a smile. And then after a pause. “You’re adorable, you know that?”  
Ivan reddens, only adding more evidence to this fact. “Sure,” he says.  
“I’m serious!” Fish tosses a pillow at him.  
Ivan dodges it easily. “Uh-huh.” He turns a page, doing his best to look nonchalant, but he seems a little more self-conscious about it.

The memory sticks with Fish for a few days.

The second time is when they’re having a dinner party though it’s not so much a party as it is friends crammed around a dinner table. It’s late by the time they get around to dessert and the floor is filled with people and laughter. Ivan is sitting on the kitchen counter and sipping at a mug when Fish whirls into the kitchen with stacks of plates floating behind him. He gently places them into the sink before sidling up to Ivan. He’s slightly taller than Fish for once and he finds it somewhat unnerving to look down at him.   
“You taking a break?”  
Ivan nods. He’s never been good with people the way Fish is.  
“Thanks again for agreeing to this.”  
Ivan shrugs like it’s nothing because it is nothing, but then Fish puts his hand on his knee and his mouth goes dry.   
“I mean it. You’re a good boyfriend.”  
Ivan swallows like the words don’t affect him at all, but the glint in Fish’s eyes tell him he’s not fooling anyone.  
He presses a quick kiss to corner of his mouth. “Dessert’s being served if you’re interested.”  
Ivan just nods faintly. “I’ll be there in a minute.”   
He sits there for three.

After that, Fish stops counting and starts planning his attacks. It begins innocently enough.  
“You’re so good with animals.”  
“You should wear that shirt more often, you look amazing in it.”  
“You always make the best tea.”  
“Yes, Ivan, believe it or not, I do want to kiss you.”

By the end of the week, Ivan is a red faced wreck. He has said anything because of course, he wouldn’t. So, naturally Fish takes it upon himself to broach the subject. He’s still sitting perched on the edge of their bed wondering how to do so when Ivan walks in and plops face first onto the bed, letting out a muffled noise. Fish crawls over and pokes his back.   
“Long day?”  
“Mmmphhh.”  
“Norwigs again?”  
“Worse.” He’s turned over to his side now. “People.”  
Fish just hums and lies beside him. “They can be pretty terrible.”  
Ivan just eyes him suspiciously from underneath his fringe. “You’re the most extroverted person I know.”  
“Not really.”  
“Last week, you made friends with a stranger on the train.”  
“They had a cute dog!”  
“I left for five minutes and when I came back, they were trying to make dinner plans with you.”  
Fish rolled his eyes, “I wasn’t going to accept.”  
Ivan just hunches in a little more and goes that kind of quiet that always leaves Fish stumbling for the right words.  
Instead, he reaches out slowly to brush away the bit of hair that fallen into Ivan’s face.   
“I can hear you angsting from here.”  
Ivan cracks the barest trace of a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.  
“Ivan.” Fish continues stroking his hair as if trying to ease out the words.  
The quiet is deafening and then Ivan speaks.  
“Why are you with me?” Fish pauses, confused.  
“What? What do you mean?”  
Ivan sits up, staring at the comforter.

“I mean, why would someone like you be with someone like me?”  
His chest falters as the words sink in, but Ivan barrels ahead.  
“I know that what’s you’ve been doing all week. Trying to convince yourself that I’m what you want because I’m a fucking mess-“  
“Ivan.” His voice comes out a mere tremble. “Ivan.” He tries again, “That’s not-“  
Fish stops, trying to measure what to say, but then Ivan just sighs and moves to get up.   
“Wait” He grabs the edge of his shirt, feeling rather childish before letting go. “Please?”  
Ivan stays, but he still avoids looking at him.  
“I’m not trying to convince myself of anything. I already know I love you. I just wasn’t sure if you knew that,” Fish says and it’s then that he understands. 

Ivan is staring at him, looking for all the world as if this was news to him. “You love me?”  
“Yes! Did you not know that?!”  
Ivan flushes and mumbles something unintelligible.  
Fish isn’t sure if he wants to laugh or cry. Maybe both.  
“Ivan.” Fish scoots closer until he’s right across from him. He lets out a giggle.  
“Your bedhead in the morning is the cutest thing. You babytalk to spiders when you think no one’s listening. Your sock drawer takes up a third of our dresser. WE LIVE TOGETHER.”  
He turns red and begins fiddling with his hands. “...I do not babytalk to spiders.”  
“Then who’s Charlotte and Leaf?”  
Ivan buries his face in his hands. “I thought you didn’t get up that early.”  
Fish gently pries his hands away. “The point is that I love you. The only reason I complimented you so much was because you got so embarrassed about it.”  
“I wasn’t embarrassed.” Ivan’s not sure why he decides to go with such an obvious lie, but quickly regrets it when he sees the smirk on Fish’s face.  
“Oh? So, if I happened to tell you that I think you’re beautiful, it wouldn’t bother you at all?”  
“N-no.”  
Fish hums. “What about how much I like it when you wander around shirtless in the mornings when you’re getting dressed?”  
“Nope.” Ivan swallows and desperately looks everywhere else.  
Fish just smiles and keeps going. “I think you’re good for me. Really good.”


End file.
